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With regard to the vocals--Pasi doesn't have the gutsiest, most powerful voice imaginable, but he has a lot of control and very individual phrasing, and he puts a lot of passion into each of his words. It ends up communicating more than the relatively monotone growls on previous albums--not that I didn't love those too; in fact, when "Greed" comes up on this album I'm totally psyched for something gutteral. But this is like having a whole new dimension.

How does it compare with "Tales from the Thousand Lakes"? Apples and oranges. But you can love them both. This is a masterpiece, recommended 100%.


Nice transition   April 2, 1999
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

This has got to be one of the best records of the year. The songs are great, best when the lyrics are read. The lyrics to "Summers End" and "Nightfall" are very talented. Musically, the record is very diverse, their sound is exclusively Amorphis but similar at times to Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Ambient, Oriental, The Doors, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple and a bit of Grunge. I've listened to Amorphis since 1992(The Karelian Isthmus). I can tell they're really comfortable with this sound. All the elements from the past have come together to find Tuonela a reflection of the "Real Amorphis." The keyboard player and Sakari Kukko are awesome. Production is louder and more sonic/dynamic than ever. Of course, if all you listen to is metal you probably won't dig this record. It's rock and damn good rock at that. If you only like the old Amorphis, you might buy it for "Greed" which is in the vein of a melodic(and better produced)Karelian Isthmus. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people out there, like the "2 stars" on this ratings board, who refuse to leave the underground. The appropriate response is: that's not what music is all about. When a band is together 10 years they sell out when they don't change. Amorphis changes, and does so successfully. I'd recommend the album to anyone who is a music fan.


Amorphis treads further down the folk-rock path...   June 26, 2000
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

"Elegy" saw Amorphis going explicitly for a psychedelic/folk sound, and "Tuonela" carries the band even further in that direction. While "Tales from the Thousand Lakes" remains by far my favorite Amorphis CD, "Elegy" and "Tuonela" each have unique things to offer.

"Tuonela" features a more direct songwriting approach than Amorphis has taken in the past. Also, the gruff vocals are almost completely gone, returning only on the song "Greed," where they fit the lyrics most adeptly, I might add!

While going for a more direct, simple approach to songwriting, the songs are also (paradoxically?) more diverse than on "Elegy." A frequent complaint against "Elegy" is its repetitiveness, but this complaint holds no water against "Tuonela." I believe Amorphis have simply gone for a different approach with "Tuonela": "Elegy" was intended to be listened to as a complete album, while on "Tuonela" the individual songs stand on their own. Those songs are, on the whole, structured simply and straightforwardly, with an emphasis on catching the listener with a few, readily identifiable hooks.

While those of us with a more experimental turn of mind will be spinning Arcturus, Nightwish, or Opeth, "Tuonela" should have wide appeal to a general metal audience. Amorphis remains hard, though perhaps barely metal, and catchy.


Fundamental letdown, and a waste of talent   October 27, 1999
 5 out of 11 found this review helpful

Because Amorphis is a band that redefines itself and their music with every new album, we should treat every release with some skepticism. Their previous albums have all been exquisite musical masterpieces, however, with Tounela, they have abandoned everything that made them great. Tounela is a disappointment, not because it is different from their previous works, but because the music is insipid. Amorphis are no longer a melodic Death Metal band. They are not even a Metal band anymore. This record sounds like alternative music. Previously, guitars totally dominated the music, were impossible to ignore, and the song-long solos contrasted strikingly against the rhythm and bass guitars. Now you cannot even make out the guitar riffs! The music is composed of floating melodies and, harmonies of various blended instruments and what happens is that often it really is "amorphous"; undefined and without structure. The music comes across mostly as mushy, and it's often difficult to discern when one song begins and ends. Amorphis use to have one of the best Death Metal vocalist I've ever heard, though I did prefer the infrequent but exquisitely melodic vocals on Tales From A Thousand Lakes. On Tuonela the group abandoned growl vocals, which pleased me because they are too limiting, but their new vocalist can be bland. He has very limited range and the singing doesn't vary much from song to song. A more serious problem is that there are way too much vocals. Previously, Amorphis were very economical in their vocals, using them sparingly and only in a supplement to the music. Now, the vocals lead the music, are sung throughout most of the tracks, and it seems that the music is merely a backdrop to the vocals. This formula is horrible. Amorphis are better when their vocals thrifty but meaningful, rather than wasteful, redundant, and pointless. This album is a continuation of what amorphis started with Elegy; more melody, more vocals, and less guitars oriented, but, though I loved Elegy, it didn't work here. There are only about three songs that I really liked. My opinion may be a bit harsh because I think so highly of their previous works, and think they still have great potential. If you liked their more mushy, melodic stuff on Elegy, you should definitely check this out. The band's traditional fans, who come from an extreme Metal background will definitely be alienated by this album, and people who are most likely to enjoy Tounela will come from a more mainstream, progressive rock audience.


Perhaps their best   August 31, 2004
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

Amorphis's Tuonala, a very controversial album indeed. Maybe writing a review for this is pointless since everyone seems to have a differing opinion, but I'll give it a shot though. This is where they changed from Death metal to more melodic metal. All songs feature clean vox and only one song has death vox on it. This is just fine with me, Pasi has improved a lot at singing since Tales From the Thousand Lakes and while the death vox were awesome too they were more restrictive than helpful to Amorphis's sound. As for the music it's almost the same as Elegy. Just a bit more mellow and more atmospheric. The best comparision I could think of would be Draconian Times era Paradise Lost, only a bit more wispy sounding. They also use a lot more intruments that aren't typical for metal on this album, flute, saxophone, sitar. I don't think these were neccassary but they don't hurt the album in any major way either. In my eyes Tuonela ranks up there with the best from Katatonia's later stuff, Anathema, Paradise Lost and all the other bands that make similar music. This is one of my favorite Amorphis albums and may even be their best. Like I said before though, everyone seems to have their own opinion about it so it would probably be benifical to listen to it before purchasing it.